That Time I Said I'd Never Leave My House in LuLaRoe Leggings

In this video I claimed that I'd never, ever leave my house in LuLaRoe leggings. Well. People can change. After spending several months deeply entrenched in the wacky world of LuLaRoe, I've eased back on that policy - a little.

How to Leave Your House in LuLaRoe Leggings

Scenario #1: Pop of Print

When wearing LuLaRoe leggings out of your home for the sake of fashion (not an oxymoron!) it is advisable to treat the print like flair. Think accent wall, not flying unicorn wallpaper.

MappCraft | LuLaRoe Capsule Challenge | Key Piece #7 Print Leggings

Scenario #2: Namaste What?

A few seconds pursuing the OTHER "Lu-" leggings retailer will reveal a bevy of printed leg wear for triple the price of your $25 pizza pants. My point? Wear LuLaRoe to yoga. They are stretchy, comfortable and a yoga studio is among the safest spaces on the planet to wear weird printed pants without fear of ridicule.

MappCraft | LuLaRoe Capsule Challenge | Key Piece #7 Print Leggings

Scenario #3: Holiday Whimsy

Nothing says light-hearted like cherub print leggings on Valentine's Day. Just take them off before hubby gets home. Whimsical is adorable for the kindergarten class party but it's not going to earn you a new Yurman bracelet. 'Na mean?

Seriously, the holiday prints have my heart. They are cute, comfy and fun - especially when you are celebrating holidays with small children. Let's hope LuLaRoe does a better job with Valentines than it did with Christmas. This isn't a disco. All I wanted was some peppermint print leggings.

Me: "Oy!" Followed by "Ummmmm" and finally, #icant (hashtag included).

I didn't have anything against LuLaRoe, specifically. Okay maybe I did. Fine! I thought the crazy cat lady leggings were cheesy and was getting annoyed AF at the relentless stream of Facebook notifications inviting me to a pop up party that always seemed to be hosted in a random closet in Norfolk, Va.

And Then This Happened

60K Views Can't Be Wrong

So yes. I got the leggings, tried them on and made a popular video about my reaction. Like, VERY popular. Guys. I have been making videos for years and nothing has ever generated this level of engagement and enthusiasm. Best part? All the comments were nice. I liked these LuLaRoe pizza print legging loving ladies and I wanted more of their attention.

Ever the content opportunist, my mind was swirling with ideas. How could I put my signature capsule wardrobe, fashion-classic spin on a brand fundamentally committed to clashing prints and flash sales?

I reached out to several LuLaRoe Fashion Consultants and pitched the idea of collaborating on 10 Key Pieces: LuLaRoe Capsule Challenge. They would each donate a garment and I would create dozens of looks from the limited collection. The kickers:

With 7 LuLaRoe Consultants at my disposal, I figured the process would be easy peasy. I'd look at some pictures, select a few styles in my size, the Consultants would send them, Amanda would snap some pics - Voila! Post up by Labor Day. Typical retail brand collaboration.

Turns out LuLaRoe isn't your typical retail brand.

My LuLaRoe capsule had to reflect my personal style

How To Catch A Unicorn

It didn't take me long to crack the code on what fuels the billion dollar LuLaRoe machine: Good old fashion FOMO. Just because you have a taste for pizza pants, it doesn't mean you can just order up a pair. LuLaRoe Consultants don't control their inventory. From sizes to prints, they get what they get and you get a few hours to shop that inventory once a week.

To claim your coveted leggings, you must show up often and early to your LuLaRoe Consultants' Facebook hosted pop up pizza parties. Even then it's practically impossible to locate your favorite flavor from just one Consultant. Best to have several pizza pant purveyors on speed dial so you can scour their menu as soon as it posts and type SOLD! before anyone else grabs your slice of the pie.

Sizes, Smizes

Another challenge I encountered creating my LuLaRoe capsule was sizing. While the leggings are pretty true to their OS claim, everything else seemed to run very big and very long. Just when I thought I'd nailed my LuLaRoe skirt size (XS, based on a Cassie) I scored a classic black XS Azure skirt and damn well if didn't fit like an XS: Tight. Grrrrr.

Tailoring is out, too. Why? Because LuLaRoe would rather you not, that's why. Instead, they provide countless ideas on how to knot or tie or reconfigure the garments to work for your height or styling preference.

Good thing I'm inventive.

Fit to be tied in a LuLaRoe Perfect Tee

Drumroll, Please

Challenges aside, once my LuLaRoe 10 Key Piece Capsule came together I was very pleased with the results. Some highlights:

LuLaRoe fabric is indeed very, very comfortable

The Classic and Perfect Tee tops are roomy and hit the mid thigh in the right spot

The Julia dress is versatile and easy to layer

The Cassie pencil skirt is a fashion shape shifter - I styled it as a skirt, a top - even an infinity scarf!

All garment styles work together, which is essential for building an effective capsule